Vending machine door



NOV-'1 1946- N. M. DENISON v ,41 ,713

VENDiNG MACHINE DOOR Filed Oct. 25, 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 26, 1946. v N. M. DENIISON 2,411,713

VENDING MACHINE DOOR Filed Oct. 25, 1943 2 Sheets Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

v ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26 1946 Noel M. Denison, Kansas City,'M0-., assignor to v 0. Earl Hovey, trustee, Kansas City, Mo.

a licationjqctober 25, 1943;:Serial'No. 507,535

"Thisinvention relates to doors and more paractuated doors for ticularly to automatically vending machines.

In coin controlled vendingmachines'for bottled goods, or in machines of the character illustratedand described in Patent No. 2,333,118, issued Nov.'2,' 1943 to O. C. Olsen wherein the contents of: bottles are emptied and delivered to the customer in individual cups; it is desirable to have a door normally closing the opening. through which the customer may grasp the cup after it has been filled. It is important that doors of this type be operated by the Vending mechanism in properly timed relation with the rest of the steps in the vending process. It is'further important that such door be movable to the open position only by the vending mechanism to which it is operably connected. Moreover, the device for preventing unauthorized opening of the door should be capable of functioning throughout the entire distance between the opening and closing limits of the door movement. Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a delivery door for a vending machine, which door is operably connected to the vending mechanism in properly timed relation therewith.

It is a further aim of the invention to embody locking members in a door structure for normally preventing opening of the door, but which are automatically released when force from the vending mechanism is exerted on the door for opening the same.

Ayet further object of this invention is the provision of a delivery door within a loading door, and of structure for operably connecting the delivery door with the vending mechanism in a manner to substantially eliminate displacement of the delivery door relative to its opening when the loading door is opened or closed.

These and other objects of the invention which will become apparent during the course of the following specification, have been accomplished with structure shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine cabinet and of a delivery door mounted in a'loading door of the cabinet and operably connected with a member of the vending apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a delivery door in closed position within a loading door shown fragmentarily and in section.

Fig. 3 is an edge elevational view of the delivery door positioned within guide grooves of a loading door. t

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the 2 Claims. (01. s12' 192) cabinet andloading' door, taken on a line immediately" above cooperating pulleys adjacent the hinged connection of said door and the cabinet;

and i A Fig. 5 is an edge elevational view of a pulley partly shown in section and forming one of the elements employed for transmitting force from the vending mechanism to the delivery door for operating the latter. I

In the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a cabinet fo'rhousing merchandise, and apparatus for vending the same-only such portions of the vending mechanism being shown as will be helpful in describing its relation to the structure comprising the instant invention.

A pair of loading doors l2 are joined by hinges Mtocabinet l0 and one of these doors is provided with afdelivery opening I6 having guide grooves! wherein is slida bly mounted a door 2i). A recep'tacle 22 attached to the rear face of door l2 in communication with that portion of opening I6 normally closed by delivery, door 20, is formed with a side port 24 through which a cup is delivered prior to receiving the contents of a bottle or the like.

The construction of door 20 per se is relatively unimportant although a transparent panel 26 should preferably be provided therein through which a customer may view the receptacle and its contents located behind the door.

Secured to the upper edge of door 20 are a pair of angle members 28 having upstanding leg portions 39] in spaced apart relation for receivingtherebetween a pair of dogs or looking members 32, pivotally mounted on bolts 34 extended transversely through the legs and dogs.-

As clearly shown in Fig. 2, each of dogs 32 is provided with a cam face 36 and the location of the pivoting point of the dog is such that upward movement of the door will tend to force the cam faces into tighterengagement with the groove I8 of the door opening. Springs 38 each having one end fixed to a dog 32, as indicated at 40, and having their opposite ends coiled around bolts 34, serve to normally hold the dogs in contact with. the bases of grooves I8.

A U-shaped guide 42,.connected by a bolt 44 to the legs 30 of angles 28 is provided with an opening 46 in its bight 48 for the reception of a cable 50, which terminates in a pair of branches 52 leading respectively to the two dogs 32. Obviously, an upward pull on cable 50 will disengage the dogs 32 from groove l8 and move the door to open position.

In order to provide for automatic opening of the door it is operably connected by means of cable 50 with a bar 54 comprising a part of the vending mechanism. This bar in turn is reciprocated by the movement of a chain 56 which is actuated by a reversible motor (not shown). A shaft 58 journalled in suitable bearing openings in walls 69 and 62 of the cabinet carries pulleys 64 and 6B fixed thereon adjacent its opposite ends. Wound on the larger pulley 6 4 is a cable section 68 having its one end fixed to the pulley and its other end secured to bar 54.

Cable 59, leading upwardly from the delivery door 20, is run over a sheave 10 in door I2, over pulleys l2 and 14 carried by brackets 16 and 18 respectively mounted on door l2 and on the cabi net, and finally over a sheave 8c in the cabinet to the smaller pulley $6, whereon it is wound and anchored in any suitable manner.

The positions of pulleys l2 and 14 with respect to hinge It is relatively important and, as will be clear from Fig. 4 of the drawings, they are located as closely as practical to the hinge in order that opening of the loading door will not materially alter the position of delivery door 20 in its guide grooves.

Since the distance of travel of bar 54 is less than required to move door 29 to fully opened position, the ratio of travel of the door to that of the bar is increased through the employment of pulleys 64 and 66 of different diameters.

As will be apparent, the door 20 may, if desired, be mounted in a stationary wall of the cabinet, in which case the procedure of operably connecting the door with the vending mechanism would be simplified. Other modifications might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is desired therefore, to be limited only by the scope of th appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is 4. claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vending machine cabinet having a loading door hinged to the cabinet and provided with a delivery door opening, a delivery door normally closing said opening; a pair of locking member on the delivery door engageable with the loading door for normally preventing opening of the delivery door; a Y-shaped flexible member having the ends of the branches connected to said locking members and its stem extending to a point within the cabinet for releasing said members and opening th delivery door in response to force applied to the stem of the flexible member in the cabinet; and a pair of pulleys respectively mounted on the loading door and in the cabinet in substantially contiguous relation with the axis of the loading door hinge for guiding said flexible member and for substantially preventing movement of the delivery door relative to its opening whenthe loading door is opened and closed.

2. A vending machine cabinet having a loading door hinged to the cabinet and provided with a delivery door opening, a delivery door normally closing said opening; a locking member on the delivery door engageable with the loading door for normally preventing opening of said delivery door; a flexible member having on end connected to the locking member and its other end extending to a point within the cabinet for releasing said member upon application of a pull upon the end of the member in the cabinet; and a pair of guide members for the flexible member mounted respectively on th loading door and the cabinet contiguous to the axis of the hinges of the loading door in order to prevent substantial movement of the delivery door relative to its opening when the loading door is opened or closed.

I NOEL M. DENISON. 

